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Bus driver interview - Question

Jennaonthebeach

If you say so
Hi - I'm going for an interview to become a trainee bus driver this week but I need a little advice. In 2015 I turned right at a filter light while it was red, by accident, and got 3 points on my license for it. After 5 years that was spent and should have been - as i understand it - removed from the record. Is it something I need to tell the bus company up front? Will they be able to find a record of my old conviction? Do you think it matters after 8 years?
 
Hi - I'm going for an interview to become a trainee bus driver this week but I need a little advice. In 2015 I turned right at a filter light while it was red, by accident, and got 3 points on my license for it. After 5 years that was spent and should have been - as i understand it - removed from the record. Is it something I need to tell the bus company up front? Will they be able to find a record of my old conviction? Do you think it matters after 8 years?
I'd be up front if they ask if you've ever had any points. It's just 3 points well spent.

Best of luck ;)
 
Hi - I'm going for an interview to become a trainee bus driver this week but I need a little advice. In 2015 I turned right at a filter light while it was red, by accident, and got 3 points on my license for it. After 5 years that was spent and should have been - as i understand it - removed from the record. Is it something I need to tell the bus company up front? Will they be able to find a record of my old conviction? Do you think it matters after 8 years?
I wouldn't tell then if they don't ask.Was there anything in the application pack about how far back you have to declare points and convictions?
 
If your licence is currently clean, then I don't think it will be a problem.

I don't know if the bus operator in question expects all drivers to be DBS checked (it can depend on local council policy as regards school contracts) but while spent convictions can show on a DBS (I used to do the checking for a council for bus / taxi staff for school contracts) I'm pretty sure that driving endorsements don't show on DBS.

Depends what question you are asked. Are they asking about your current licence, or have they specifically asked if you have ever had endorsements / points?

General rule of thumb is you're more likely to be in trouble for not telling them if they later find out, than you would be for telling them. But as I say, I think if your licence is currently clean it shouldn't be an issue. They might (for example) be more concerned if you had a historic conviction for drink or drugged driving.

Best of luck with this.

While I am not a full time bus driver, and my PCV licence is currently lapsed as I haven't got round to doing the medical renewal, I have worked around buses - either for bus operators or local authorities - for most of my working life which is getting to the point that it's longer than i'd care to admit. If there's anything I might be able to help with, feel free to ask, either on here or a PM

🚌
 
I don't know if the bus operator in question expects all drivers to be DBS checked (it can depend on local council policy as regards school contracts) but while spent convictions can show on a DBS (I used to do the checking for a council for bus / taxi staff for school contracts) I'm pretty sure that driving endorsements don't show on DBS.

I am for my taxi job anyway and it doesn't show up there.


If there's anything I might be able to help with, feel free to ask, either on here or a PM

🚌


any interview tips?
 
Honestly I really think if the bus companies weren't going to employ anyone who ever at some point in the past had a few points we'd all be having to walk everywhere, because there wouldn't be enough people left to drive buses.

If they ask you about past expired points then tell them, but 3 for one mistake once a while ago doesn't sound like it is a big deal or should be - it's not like you're a persistent driving offender.
 
Hi - I'm going for an interview to become a trainee bus driver this week but I need a little advice. In 2015 I turned right at a filter light while it was red, by accident, and got 3 points on my license for it. After 5 years that was spent and should have been - as i understand it - removed from the record. Is it something I need to tell the bus company up front? Will they be able to find a record of my old conviction? Do you think it matters after 8 years?
Best of luck with he interview.

What does the information that comes with the advert / application say about "spent" motoring convictions ? or you could look on the operators website.
[or get a mate to ring up and ask]
 
any interview tips?

not really sure

they may well ask questions about whether you've done jobs where sticking to safety related rules is part of it, or dealing with the public, or dealing with potentially difficult customers, or handled / been accountable for cash (i think you're outside london) they may do tests of basic literacy / numeracy.

the big operators are pretty hot on health + safety in depots, and on drivers following proper procedures (e.g. start of day checks on the bus - you're not expected to be a mechanic, but if you're taking a bus from depot in the morning, you do a basic check of things like all the lights, emergency doors, no obvious issues with the wheels / tyres.)

they may want you to do a test drive in something transit van sort of size (i'm assuming you've not got even provisional PCV entitlement yet, so they can't let you drive a bus on the public road) - if so (and if you've not driven anything that size before) think about how wide a turn you need to make at corners so the back wheel doesn't bump over the kerb, and if you drive a car now, get used to scanning the door / wing mirrors (both sides) not just looking at the mirror in the middle of the windscreen (on a bus, the mirror in the middle of the windscreen, all you can see is inside the bus)

increasingly, bus operators look for people who are likely to be good at the 'people skills' bit of the job and then teach them to drive a bus, rather than look for people with experience driving large vehicles and just hope for the best on the 'people' bit. i don't know exactly what the market is like in your bit of the world, but nationally, there's quite a shortage of bus drivers. (this can mean there's pressure to work overtime and some rest days - legally you can work 13 days out of 14 on local bus, less on coach work.)

there may be a waiting period to get your provisional licence (this involves passing a medical), do the theory test and so on.

they will also ask if you're happy to work shifts - the proportion of early / sunday / late work varies from one place to another, but chances are that you'll at least start on a rota that includes all of these (within reason - you won't have a midnight finish one day and a 5 am start the next) - just how operators put rotas together varies so much from one operator (or even one depot) to another that it's hard for me to be precise. although in general, choice of what rota you go on (at larger depots, different routes or groups of routes may be on different rotas) tends to be based on seniority in the job.

another thing to be aware of - if company is putting you through the PCV test, there will almost certainly be a clause that if you quit within X time (2 years is common) then you will owe them something towards the training (this is broadly because bus operators don't want to provide free training for coach operators.)
 
Almost 10% of U.K. driving license holders have points, yours are expired - so you are better off than the 10% and a lot more than 10% of people will have had points at least once in their lifetime.

So if they ask tell them, your situation is totally normal so shouldn’t be concealed
 
I can see the point of being honest when asked a direct question: lies have to be remembered, and as people have said, a lie is likely to be less forgiveable than the offence.

I don't see the point of volunteering potentially damaging information in a job interview setting if one is not asked.
 
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The purpose of interviews is to check if you 'fit' in not to test your qualifications unless it becomes obvious you made everything up of course.
Tell them if the interview is going well it is too trivial a sin to derail it and the honesty will be appreciated.
If the interview goes badly they might use it as an excuse to say no but it won't be the real reason.
 
When they ask you "why do do want this job" tell them it's so you can do this:


1cf43a476cb343eed1ec42e95e28c55f05ac4d7110d400f439f1126490c4e70a_1.webp
 
yes, obviously i read that. It does not answer my question.

(OK - it does but I need a free pass as I have dyspraxia) - buried in a sea of bloody text. Urgh. I still nearly never saw it.

Thanks anyway.
Maybe you should tell them about the dyspraxia though?
 
Maybe you should tell them about the dyspraxia though?

No, if it’s an issue will flag in any hand eye or spacial awareness tests and if it isn’t it won’t be any of their business.

I have dyspraxia and successfully did / do a number of things professionally and for fun where it might have been an issue but isn’t. Most of which have firm assessments, some very stringent.
 
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